Monday, March 4, 2013

The whole point of the week is the weekend.

Angela Montenegro, Bones

Mario got home late Thursday night and left early this morning; an improvement over last week. After dropping Kiddo off at camp on Friday, we got together for breakfast. Although I find this place to be a bit odd, the food is okay and it is right across the street from the college. Plus, I can't beat the company.

We are endlessly entertained by the fact that they charge 25 cents for Tabasco. And every other condiment (note the $1.25 charge for salsa on our tab). And they bring it to the table without the lid as to deter you from stealing the bottle. Naughty college kids.

I hope Mario got his money's worth.

Afterward, I headed over to the college to get some lab work done. Last week I ran my first solo DNA extraction from beginning to end...and it was a success. This nerd is excited!

Saturday morning, we went to our local diner for a family breakfast. We laughed so much. There may have been some tot shenanigans.

I had to meet with some classmates on Saturday afternoon, so the boys headed into town for their Saturday night ski session. They have so much fun and I love that they have a winter activity where they can just go and be boys. They both come home flushed, smiley and raving about how great their time together was.

Jared is tackling the biggest hills at this point! Though none of them are too steep, it's a nail-biter watching him go down. He never ceases to amaze me, that kid.

I snapped some photos, took a snack/drink break with them at the bar, then left them to their fun. After the sun went down they had disco inner-tubing complete with lights and music. They had a blast.

Mario had to leave before sun-up Sunday morning, so I packed him a brown bag breakfast to go. A while back I picked up some Quaker Real Medleys oatmeal cups. He had the Cherry Pistachio and raved. I had the Summer Berry this morning and thought it was pretty good. I have been really struggling to brown bag my meals lately, so these may be a great go-to. I try to shy away from convenience foods, but they may just be the exception. I am also a fan from a nutritional standpoint (8g protein, 25+% fiber, 250 calories). A little free advertising for the Quaker folks...you're welcome.

Determined to become a better meal planner, I gathered some recipes that you can prep, freeze, then pop in the slow cooker the day of. It's a bit of a risk considering I haven't tried any of these and I have a picky kiddo, but I decided to give a few of them a go. Most ended up being Asian-themed meals, coincidentally, but all sounded Jared-friendly.

Sunday afternoon, Kiddo and I went to work. In just under two hours, we put together four meals: three to freeze, and one prepped right into the Crock Pot dish for tomorrow. It took a bit longer with Jared helping out, but I enjoyed our time together. We talked and chopped...and now he has an investment in these meals. He even helped clean the kitchen without being asked. It was a great afternoon.

As I mentioned before, I'm really struggling to plan midday meals. Any advice from fellow brown baggers? Mornings can be hectic, especially when Mario is out of town and I am flying solo, and my breakfast and lunch often get neglected. The Student Center at the college has a place to get food, but it's expensive and not worth the price. I feel terrible every time I throw away money dining there. Kiddo's lunches get made the night before...so why not mine?

While at the store stocking up on essentials and ingredients for Sunday's meal prep fest, I decided to plan for some meals of my own. It's like the Nabisco folks heard my pleas...and gifted me with these new treats. I had to buy two flavors, and really hope they are as good as they sound. I could eat Triscuits every day. Anyone try these?

My goal for this week? Not one single lunch eaten out. It's time to make my needs a priority, too. The money, extra calories, and unsatisfying lunches are simply not worth it.

Overall it was a chill, productive weekend. Sunday morning I got up, drank some coffee, and tended to some blogging duties before Jared woke. You know those moments when you walk into a room in your home and suddenly want to change everything because it just doesn't look right anymore? That was me. So I redid my blog design. It was definitely a If You Give a Mouse a Cookie moment.

At one point I got a little weary thinking it would take all day, but it went together pretty quickly. Although I am far from pro when it comes to blog design, having done it several times before meant that, for the first time, I didn't have to spend hours researching code and googling how-tos.

My blog simply wasn't jiving with my current mood. I am all about simplicity right now, so I opted for something more streamlined and monochrome. What do you think? Too plain?

The social media buttons and arrows are freebies from irocksowhat.com. This girl has mad skills and I tend to love her stuff. I have been tossing around the idea of hiring someone to tweak my blog and add some tabs...but I simply don't have the time to commit to it during the semester. For now I am content, but if you have any designer recommendations...share!

8 comments:

1) Love the new look!2) I just couldn't focus on anything after the "charging for Tabasco" tidbit. I'd be in serious debt if I got charged for hot sauces. That, or I'd just have to start carrying a bottle of Sriracha in my purse. And let's not act like that hasn't tempted me before.

Isn't that weird? My husband always says something like "I think I'll splurge on some Tabasco this morning" and the waiters laugh. They think it's silly, too. Because it is right across the street from the college, so they must get a lot of condiments stolen. We hardly look like Tabasco thieves so it seems as if they may be able to use some discretion on that one. :)